Help For UCLA Students: No Tuition Hikes In UC Budget Plan - Colin Hale, Neon Tommy

According to a preliminary budget report released Monday by the University of California (UC), students at the univerity system's 10 campuses can expect no tuition increases for the 2014-15 academic year. The Los Angeles Times noted that the budget proposal for 2014 would keep undergraduate tuition (before room & board costs and campus fees) at $12,192 per year, marking the third-straight year that tuition in the UC system has remained unchanged. http://www.neontommy.com/news/2013/11/help-ucla-students-no-tuition-hikes-uc-budget-plan

Southern Oregon University Plans Cuts Amid Budget Shortfall - David Nogueras, OPB

The faculty union at Southern Oregon University is reacting to news that the school plans to cut programs and staff in order to fill a $4 million budget shortfall by the year 2015. Board members of the Association of Professors at Southern Oregon University will meet Wednesday night to discuss the issue. SOU President Mary Cullinan addressed the matter on Tuesday in her annual State of the University speech. Cullinan said reductions in state funding along with two consecutive years of decreased enrollment contributed to the financial crisis. The president then said the school was exercising a clause in its collective bargaining agreement to begin a planning process to reduce, reconfigure or eliminate academic programs. http://www.opb.org/news/article/southern-oregon-university-plans-cuts-amid-budget-shortfall/

Southeastern University AD Artigues talks Grambling, athletic budget cuts - John Binder, Lion's Roar

Director of Athletics at Southeastern Jay Artigues has reflected on the situation at Grambling and believes that it would never occur on Southeastern’s Campus. Artigues said that maintaining athletic facilities is crucial to attracting high-class athletes to Southeastern and that self-generated revenue ensures that funds continue to flow into athletics. After the Grambling State University controversy, where the university’s football team essentially revolted against athletic department budget cuts, questions arose throughout national media outlets as to whether state athletic departments in whole could crumble from financial cuts. Newly named Athletic Director Jay Artigues says the forfeiting of a game, as Grambling State’s football team did against Jackson State University under the context that bus trips were too long and that there was lack of food while on the road, would never occur at Southeastern. “Obviously, we can’t control what happens here at Southeastern, but we would never forfeit,” said Artigues. “That would never happen. We’d make every effort to make sure that didn’t happen.”http://www.lionsroarnews.com/news/artigues-talks-grambling-athletic-budget-cuts-1.3114106#.UpwFMcRDtvA

Budget problems cut deep, faculty not amused - Spartan Daily

Provost Ellen Junn, Deputy Provost Andy Feinstein and Chief Financial Officer Shawn Bibb met with department chairs Wednesday to answer questions about baseline budget cuts that San Jose State is facing. Department chairs questioned why they were not notified of the extent of the cuts for the Spring 2014 semester until late last week. "The '13-'14 institution has not taken a budget cut," Bibb said. "This is not new news … 18 months ago the budget was established." Charles Bullock, dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, stated in an email to the department chairs and directors, “By June 30, 2014, SJSU will have taken our second $16 million plus cut,” which will get the university to a balanced budget. http://spartandaily.com/112476/budget-problems-cut-deep-faculty-not-amused

Would You Take an Online Class With a Celebrity? - Jen Hubley Luckwaldt, PayScale

Online classes are a great way to add skills to your resume without dealing with the hassle of commuting and sitting in a classroom, and everyone loves celebrities (or at least, pays too much attention to them). So why not combine the two, and take online classes from your favorite stars? It's not as crazy an idea as it sounds. Jeffrey R. Young, author of Beyond the MOOC Hype: A Guide to Higher Education's High-Tech Disruption, spoke with several executives at companies that produce massive open online classes (MOOC), which offer thousands of students at a time the chance to learn from professors at top colleges. Or, occasionally, the chance to learn from those professors' more photogenic colleagues. "All our instructors are knowledgeable in the subject area," Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun tells Young. "However, we often rely on teams of people to produce a MOOC, and often the individuals who show up on tape are not the primary instructor who composes the materials. http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/11/would-you-take-an-online-class-with-a-celebrity-

Harvard’s budget deficit reaches $34 million - Beth Healy, Boston Globe

Harvard University said its budget deficit rose to $34 million in fiscal year 2013, a gap that will force the world’s richest school to trim near-term spending even as it proceeds with ambitious building plans and fund-raising. The results, reported in the university’s annual financial report released Friday, show Harvard is in better financial condition than five years ago, during the financial crisis. But the deficit is up from $7.9 million in 2012, and school officials indicated their focus is still on containing costs. Daniel Shore, Harvard’s chief financial officer, wrote in the report that the institution’s “ability to stay in financial balance going forward’’ depends largely on its “commitment to cost management and an embrace of innovative revenue opportunities.’’http://www.boston.com/business/news/2013/11/08/harvard-budget-deficit-reaches-million/efAULqZFKqMTqHyWbEi7KP/story.html

Lt. Gov. says new budget aims to stem rise in college tuition rates - Anthony Cotton, The Denver Post

When colleges and universities in Colorado received $30 million more from the state legislature this year, the common perception in higher education circles was that the boost was a one-time occurrence. However, last week's 2014-15 budget proposal from Gov. John Hickenlooper included an even higher allotment for schools — $60 million for operations and another $40 million allocated for state-funded financial aid. "What distinguishes Colorado from other states is our highly educated and innovative workforce, and we can't afford to lose that edge," said Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, the executive director of the state Department of Higher Education. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24487277/lt-gov-says-new-budget-aims-stem-rise

Houghton College Announces Significant Academic Budget Cuts for 2014-2015 - Sarah Hutchinson, Houghton Star

Faced with an unbalanced budget and two years of low enrollment, President Mullen and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean Mills Woolsey, announced significant cuts in academics for the 2014-2015 academic year. The information was first announced to faculty and staff on Wednesday morning and then made publicly available on the Houghton website for alumni, students, and parents soon afterward. “I resonate with the agony of this process,” said President Mullen referencing her own experience as an educator. The cuts include program eliminations, faculty reductions and cuts, academic administration restructuring, deferred hiring, and significant curricular reorganization.http://www.houghtonstar.com/2013/11/09/college-announces-significant-academic-budget-cuts-for-2014-2015/

UNC system finance committee reviews budget reductions - April Dudash, The Herald-Sun

The UNC Board of Governors Budget and Finance Committee reviewed the multi-million dollar hit to UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University programs Thursday as part of its system-wide budget reduction overview. The committee convened Thursday at N.C. State University’s Hunt Library. Andrea Poole, UNC assistant vice president for finance, walked board members through the implementation report of fiscal 2013-14 budget reductions, which was submitted by Nov. 1 and is still under review by the Office of State Budget and Management. UNC-Chapel Hill’s allocated reductions totaled $21 million, and NCCU was allocated about $3.8 million in cuts. Across the UNC system, which comprises 17 institutions, the 2013-14 state budget required $65.8 million in management flexibility cuts, $15.8 million in instructional efficiencies cuts, and $10 million in operational and administrative efficiencies cuts. The Board of Governors also approved a $3 million reduction to be distributed among the 17 schools. http://www.heraldsun.com/news/x1866988499/UNC-system-finance-committee-reviews-budget-reductions

Brown U. deficit could constrain budget planning - Kiki Barnes, Brown Daily

The University’s current $4.3 million deficit remains a concern as administrators plan the next fiscal year’s operating budget, said Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 at an open forum hosted Thursday by the University Resources Committee. The University ended the last fiscal year with a deficit of $5.5 million. Though the current deficit is lower than that sum, “We have to work on dropping this deficit down,” said Schlissel, who chairs the URC. The University operates under a deficit by drawing on reserve funds, he said. Schlissel added that the Corporation, which approves the budget each February, said at its October meeting the deficit is a problem that must be addressed in plans for next year’s budget. http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/11/08/u-deficit-constrain-budget-planning/

MSUM Offers Early Retirement to Some Faculty to Fix their Budget - Valley News

The clock is ticking for nearly 100 professors at Minnesota State University of Moorhead who must decide by tomorrow whether they want to take an early retirement. The college is facing a projected eight million dollar deficit by 2016 so administration is offering early retirement with some lucrative incentives. Valley News team's Eric Crest reports on what the future holds for MSUM. The college student enrollment at MSUM has fallen about 10 percent since 2010. In that time the school has missed out on an estimated 4.6 million dollars and their deficit is only growing. "As we look ahead to fiscal year 2015 if we do nothing, we're projecting about a 5 million dollar budget deficit," says David Wahlberg the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at MSUM. By 2016 that deficit is projected to be at 8 million dollars. So administration has decided to make some cuts. http://www.valleynewslive.com/story/23910399/msum-offers-early-retirement-to-some-faculty-to-fix-their-budget

Tuskegee University Staff Cuts Announced - WSFA 12

Acting President Dr. Matthew Jenkins released the following statement: "We are reducing the non-academic workforce at Tuskegee. Instruction, research and the student experience at Tuskegee University will not change; nor will the University's commitment to academic excellence. The positions are being cut as the result of a mid-year budget review in an effort to align University resources and expenses and position the University for future growth. Our commitment to educating students for the jobs of the 21st Century and beyond remains our primary focus and will we not sacrifice what we do day in and day out. Steps like this are always difficult to take and we thank those who will be leaving for their service to the University. We are only as strong and vibrant as the people who bring our campus to life every day. Our faculty and staff continue to make Tuskegee a great University." http://www.wsfa.com/story/23910314/tuskegee-university-confirms-staff-cuts

University of Delaware Budget receives backlash from Faculty Senate - JAY PANANDIKER, UD Review

An October report by the Faculty Senate stated that the disadvantages of the new university budget, Responsibility-Based Budgeting, have vastly outweighed the benefits. According to the report, RBB is a system that places expenses at the college level, rather than at the traditional university level. Under RBB, individual colleges, such as the College of Arts and Sciences, receive a certain amount of the overall university revenue and each college balances their own budgets. According to the senate report, the university currently has a budget of $987.5 million, approximately half of which goes toward academics. http://www.udreview.com/budget-receives-backlash-from-faculty-senate-1.3116855#.UoJIgfmTxOI

University of Kansas Hospital nurses unhappy with cuts - Fox4 KC

University of Kansas Hospital officials said they have not cut nurses pay the past 15 years, but the passage of the Affordable Care Act means the hospital is now facing major cuts in federal funding from Medicare and Medicaid. Facing a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars, the Hospital decided to make cuts across the board, and the nurse’s union is not happy about it. University of Kansas Hospital officials said they are cutting certain benefits including premium pay, and extra money given to those who work evenings, overnights and weekends. To make it up, the Hospital raised the nurse’s base salary by two percent. Union leadership agreed to the new contract, but the membership voted it down. Last year, the Hospital made more than one billion dollars in revenue. http://fox4kc.com/2013/11/12/university-of-kansas-hospital-nurses-face-budget-cuts/

Budget flexibility, federal funding are main financial challenges at U., Priorities Committee reports

Two of the biggest financial challenges facing the University are reduced budget flexibility and diminished federal funding for research, provost David Lee GS ’99 said in a Council of the Princeton University Committee meeting on Monday afternoon. Lee, who chairs the Priorities Committee, presented the committee’s annual report, which included an operating budget of $1.59 billion, at the meeting. During the meeting, Lee explained that the University used a significant portion of its reserve funds during the recovery from the 2008 economic crisis, and that this move reduced the University’s ability to reallocate resources in the event of a crisis. http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2013/11/budget-flexibility-federal-funding-are-main-financial-challenges-at-u-priorities-committee-reports/

NC State, UNC-system schools face library hour cuts - Ashley Cocciadiferro, The Daily Tar Heel

While N.C. State University and other UNC-system schools are facing cuts to their library hours, UNC-CH students are still able to study in the library until the wee hours of the morning. Due to budget cuts systemwide, campus libraries have had to prioritize their services — often reducing the number of scholarly journals offered or even cutting operational hours. The N.C. General Assembly reduced the UNC system’s budget by $65 million this academic year. http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/11/nc-state-unc-system-schools-face-library-hour-cuts

Students plan demonstration against budget cuts, Qayoumi - Melissa Lewelling, Spartan Daily

Alessa Baldonado, a senior communicative disorders and sciences major, writes down what the student group thought of San Jose State University President Mahammad Qayoumi in a meeting on November 8, 2013. The group used the list to narrow their overall message of demonstration to disconnection, money and profit versus non-profit. Student reaction to news Wednesday of swift budgets cuts planned for the Spring 2014 semester is rising to the surface as some call for action against San Jose State University President Mohammad Qayoumi, despite the restoration of funds. “President Mo has got to go,” Will Cormier, a sophomore history major, said at a meeting in the Mosaic Cross Cultural Center on Friday, where 15 students gathered to talk about possible demonstrations surrounding the cuts. The proposed $16 million in cuts to SJSU’s base budget would result in larger class sizes, fewer section offerings and possibly fewer faculty members for departments such as English and comparative literature, John Engell, English department chair, told the Spartan Daily Wednesday after a meeting between the college deans and three members of SJSU's administration. http://spartandaily.com/112542/students-plan-demonstration-budget-cuts-qayoumi

Fall to fall enrollment drops for the first time in 16 years at Western Kentucky - Trey Crumbie, WKU Herald

While most public universities in Kentucky saw an increase in total enrollment this fall, WKU is down 3.2 percent. WKU’s enrollment for fall 2013 stands at 20,456, down 668 from the 21,124 students last fall semester. The enrollment gap translates to a $1.6 million gap in the university’s budget. Mark Reeves, executive vice president for the Student Government Association, said the drop in enrollment affects students both directly and indirectly. “It affects students because it affects the revenue of the university,” Reeves said. “And that affects how the university can provide services to students.” WKU and Eastern Kentucky University were the only two public institutions in the state to report a loss.http://wkuherald.com/news/article_b61b6772-4b42-11e3-af54-0019bb30f31a.html

Sequester Woes for Research - Michael Stratford, Inside Higher Ed

The automatic federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, that took effect in March have forced universities to lay off research-related personnel, delay projects and admit fewer graduate students, according to a new survey released Monday. Eighty-one percent of responding institutions said that sequestration was directly affecting their research activities. More than half of universities said that the decrease in new federal grant opportunities -- and the shrinking value of some existing grants -- had prompted them to reduce research-related positions, and nearly a quarter of institutions said they had already laid off research employees. The survey of 74 public and private research universities was conducted last month by the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Science Coalition.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/11/12/congress-negotiates-budget-new-survey-highlights-strain-sequester-cuts-university